US2727420A

US2727420A - Silencer for use in practicing on an upright piano

Info

Publication number: US2727420A
Application number: US362814A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman W Welsh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-06-19
Filing date: 1953-06-19
Publication date: 1955-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1972-12-20

Description

N. W. WELSH Dec. 20, 1955 SILENCER FOR USE IN PRACTICING ON AN UPRIGHT PIANO Filed June 19 IN V EN TOR. Mom/4N 14 W545 B Y gown, dam} ///5 A 77'0Q/VEKS United States Patent dice 2,727,420 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 SILENCER FOR USE IN PRACTICING ON AN UPRIGHT PIANO Norman W. Welsh, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application June 19, 1953, Serial No. 362,814

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-220) Upright pianos, including spinets, which are small-size upright pianos, are used extensively for practicing, both by those who are learning to play and by skilled pianists. When practicing is done by those who live in apartments, the noise is quite annoying to others who live in adjoining apartments that are customarily separated by thin sound-transmitting walls, and frequently to those who live in the same apartment or house.

The object of this invention is to provide a silencer for use in an upright piano for muting or deadening the noise when the piano is used for practicing, the silencer being readily removable when it is desired to play the piano musically, and replaceable when it is desired to practice without annoying others.

Heretofore, to practice without annoying others, it has been necessary to use a special silent-keyboard structure which is built into a wooden case about three feet long. The structure consists of four octaves of regular size white and black piano keys which yield no sound. They are attached to springs which offer the same degree of resistance to finger pressure as do standard piano key mechanisms. The conventional-silent keyboard is used mainly for technique development, which consists of finger and arm calisthenics that involve running of all musical scales and corresponding arpeggios several times, using different beats on the runs. The degree of muscular pressure used in technique-developing ranges from pianissimo, which requires the softest possible touch, to fortissimo, which requires the hardest possible touch. The silencer provided according to my invention may be inexpensively constructed for use by men who have a heavy touch, or by ladies who have a much lighter touch, and it eliminates the purchase and use of the conventional expensive-silent keyboard.

The silencer provided according to this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the upper portion of an upright piano with the front removed to expose the upper portion of the wires, the silencer of my invention being shown in its silencing position;

Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of the piano to enlarged scale showing the silencer in its piano-silencing position, the plane of view being indicated by the line 11-11, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 a perspective view of the silencer above.

As best seen in Fig. 2, all upright pianos have horizontal cross-bar pins 1 which are secured to the back 2 of the piano for supporting or positioning a hammermounting frame 3. There are usually four of such pins placed in horizontal alignment near the tops of the wires, which in Fig. 1 are shown as being arranged in three groups, namely base wire group 4, an intermediate wire group 5, and treble wire group 6.

The silencer provided according to this invention consists of a strip 6 of rigid material, preferably of wood, to one side of which there is attached a strip of felt 7 that is folded to form a loop 8 below strip 6. The felt strip is provided intermediate of its ends with notches 10, and at its ends with notches 11 for receiving the crossbar pins that support the silencer. In Fig. 1 the silencer is shown as being supported by the several cross-bar pins 1, and in such position it extends over all the wires of the several groups 4, 5 and 6 thereof. When so positioned, the felt loop 8 of the silencer extends downwardly in front of the piano wires and adjacent to them. It lies between the wires and hammers 9 so that the loop silences each wire that is struck by a hammer. This so deadens the vibration of the wires that the action of the hammers is of a thumping nature, which is all that is necessary in practicing, particularly when the person that is practicing is a beginner.

The wooden strip 6 is sufiiciently heavy to remain where it is placed on the cross-bar pins. It should be placed so that the loop 8 is against the piano springs, and remains there so that the hammers strike the felt loop instead of the bare strings, thus allowing only a regulated degree of musical sound.

The sound may be regulated by inserting one or more single strips 12 of felt through the loop in each of the three sections thereof. More strips 12 are placed in the portion of loop 8 that is adjacent to section 4 of base or lower range wires than are placed within the sections of the loop that are adjacent to the mid-range bank of wires 5 and the treble bank of wires 6. The banks of wires 5 and 6 are customarily set a small fraction of an inch back of bank 4. To compensate for this offset, a

strip of felt 13 may be placed between wooden strip 6 and the loop-forming leg of the felt strip adjacent to the wooden strip. This causes loop 3 adjacent to banks of wires 5 and 6 to extend outwardly towards the wires and hang snugly against them.

By placing the silencer on the cross-bar pins, objectionable noise of practicing may readily be eliminated. By removing the silencer the piano may be used musically, removing and replacing of the silencer being readily done by hand by merely lifting the front of the piano.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

A removable and replaceable silencer for use in practicing on an upright piano which has horizontal cross-bar pins above the tops of piano wires and piano hammers in front of those wires, said silencer consisting of a strip of rigid material having a loop of felt attached to one of its sides, said loop being provided with spaced notches to receive the cross-bar pins of the piano when said strip is resting on them, said notches dividing the loop into sections each of which is provided with at least one strip of felt to thicken the loop, and each section of the loop extending downwardly between a plurality of piano hammers and wires to silence all of the latter when the silencer is placed on and supported by cross-bar pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS